


Serendipity

by useumssi



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Alternate Universe - Fae, Anal Sex, Bottom Kim Hongjoong, Constructive criticism much appreciated, Hongjoong has horns, How Do I Tag, It's in a forest?, M/M, Masturbation, Public Sex, Rimming, Smut, This is my first time, Top Park Seonghwa, just a likkle bit, lord forgive me, pls be gentle with me, seongjoong
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-07-09 21:39:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19894759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/useumssi/pseuds/useumssi
Summary: Serendipity [ser-uh n-dip-i-tee]: an accidental discoverySeonghwa did not know what drew him to that part of the woods that day. He knew that he wasn't supposed to wander so close to Fae lands, lest he run into one of the wretched creatures. And as it his luck should have it, he stumbles upon the most insatiable Fae in the gods-damned Greenwood.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all, and thank you so much for clicking on this fic. This is my first fanfic in a long while, and I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing it.  
> The world I've written it in is loosely based on the world that Sarah J Maas created in her series A Court of Thorns and Roses, which I've currently been binge-reading rather than doing assignments.  
> Kudos would be greatly appreciated, and so would constructive criticism from all of you more experienced writers.  
> 

Seonghwa did not know what drew him toward this part of the forest- it was one he rarely ventured in to. The small village he was from at the border of the Greenwood ran rife with stories of the creatures that roamed here, ruled here.

Great beasts that were an unholy mixture of wildness and magic, creatures that could bring a mere human like himself to his knees with a simple thought. 

The Fae were a species as old as time itself. The most ancient human legends told of a time where Fae and humans lived in harmony.

The Fae were powerful, a force to be reckoned with. They could manipulate the elements, the fabric of reality, even time itself.

They were beings of light and darkness, sea and sky, mind and matter, good and evil.

300 years ago, evil won over.

Done was the breaking of bread between humans and Fae and so began a torturous decade-long war that saw hundreds of Fae dead and hundreds of thousands of humans slaughtered by the more powerful beings. There were a number of Fae that fought with the humans and this was enough for the war to come to a stalemate.

The war ended with contained animosity, neither side wanting to lose one more life to a war that would likely continue forever should they let it. And so, the Treaty was created. 

Lines were drawn through territories and new laws were drawn up and passed. Humans and Fae were to live together once more- no, _exist_ together. Not interacting as they once had, but just existing, knowing the other was there but neither acknowledging their presence. 

The hatred that humans felt for Fae remained steady and unyielding over the past 300 years. Generation after generation, stories were passed down detailing the horrors of the war, what the Fae had done to humans: starved them, beaten them, broken their minds until they were begging on their knees for the sweet release of death.

Seonghwa had heard those very stories from his father’s lips from the time he was a child. They would gather around the warmth of the hearth in their little cottage, Seonghwa seated in his mother’s lap, her arms encircling him as though to protect him from the terrible words spilling forth from his father. His older brother would be seated on the floor, gazing up their father, eyes glazed over as he drank in every detail he could of the terrible things the Fae had done to humans.

As they grew older, his brother’s fascination with the stories of old manifested to hate. He trained and studied the Fae, learning to hunt and kill them slowly, just like they had done to his ancestors.

His older brother’s sentiments were not uncommon, many of the people in his small village sharing the same hatred and disdain for the Fae that lurked beyond the forest. 

Seonghwa was not as passionate about the hunting and torturing of Fae as his brother. In fact, the thought of torture made him sick to his stomach.

He still hated them, though. Hated them with every fiber of his being. Rather than his blood running red-hot with hate, his was more of a cool rage, tempered down by the thought that, should he come across a Fae, he would cut them down swiftly and with no mercy.

The Treaty, the only thing that kept the Fae from slaughtering the human race, was slowly crumbling. 300 years since its creation, and the Fae have long since laughed at the face of human wrath. 

There were very few things that could kill a Fae, the wood from the ash tree being one of them. The other Fae-killing weapons were locked far away in Fae territory, where no human would dare to roam, guarded under lock and key, magic and by terrible beasts that would no doubt slaughter anyone who dare tried to cross them.

Beasts that Seonghwa sometimes saw in his nightmares.

The fleeting thought itself was enough to have his breath stutter slightly in fear.

Seonghwa clutched his bow tighter, his hand automatically going to the quiver strapped across his back. His fingers grazed the fletching of the weapon he seeked, drawing an arrow made of ash. It had been a gift from his father on his 18th birthday and was one of the nicest things he owned. The quiver held finely crafted, perfectly balanced arrows, their gleaming tips so clean that Seonghwa could see his own face in the reflection on the day he’d received them.

It would have cost a small fortune to buy such a fine set of normal arrows, but this was no ordinary gift.

Half of the arrows were made of ash. During the war, all ash tree groves had been razed to the ground by the Fae, all but removing the slight advantage the humans may have held over them.

The sight of such a deadly weapon in his own calloused hands made Seonghwa shiver with excitement and fear.

Excitement to own such a mighty weapon. Fear that he might have to use it.

Now, as Seonghwa stalked deeper into the Greenwood, he nocked the arrow. His senses strained against the noise of the forest, wary for anything that seemed out of the ordinary. He knew he tread dangerously close to the border where the human territory drew to an end and the Fae territory began. 

He had been warned many a time not to risk getting so close to the border. The creatures that roamed here were vile and wild and would tear Seonghwa limb from limb without a second thought. 

He wanted to turn back. He wanted to leave. But he could not. His father was too old to hunt, his brother was off training and his sweet mother was home, waiting for him to bring back a kill for supper. 

And so he pushed on, ignoring the gnawing sense that something was terribly, terribly wrong. 

|||||

The discomfort in his stomach grew and his heart began to race in his chest. It pounded against his ribcage like a hammer, threatening to break the bone cage and race away from the growing sense of terror Seonghwa felt building in his gut. The sun was high in the sky, but it would be dark in a matter of hours, and Seonghwa had to be back in the village before sunset. Before the creatures came out to roam.

But he still hadn’t captured anything. 

Hopefully his snares by the village had captured a couple of rabbits at the very least, but Seonghwa had hoped to shoot down a deer today. After the long winter months, his entire family had become thinner from eating the small animals that Seonghwa and his brother had managed to capture. It was enough to survive, but just barely. 

Seeing his mother so thin after she had been so full and round before the harsh, cold season sparked a determination in him. 

He _was_ going to bring back a big enough kill to fill his mother’s belly until she could eat no more. He _had_ to. He would go to great lengths to see it through, even it meant traipsing on the border of the Fae lands. 

Seonghwa pressed on, the pounding of his heart reaching a speed he had never felt in his life. As he scanned his surroundings, the colours of the bright berry bushes and foliage blended together and blurred. The balmy spring air was stifling him, the air almost feeling heavy as he quietly drew in a breath. Seonghwa’s entire body buzzed and he could feel the hot blood coursing in his veins, extending to his fingertips where his grip on the bow and arrow tightened.

Shaking his head slightly, he peered around again, steadying his vision and his mind before slinking forward. 

There, almost hidden beyond a cluster of trees, was a clearing. Seonghwa could hear a stream softly singing as it ran through the clearing, sliding over and through smooth, age-worn stones.

The grass there was so _green_. It was unlike any shade of green that Seonghwa had seen before, so bright that the reflection of the sun off of the ground was blinding. The smell of fresh flowers danced over to Seonghwa, overcoming his senses. He could not help but to take a deep breath, the heavenly scent reeling him towards the clearing like a fish on a hook. He drew closer, crouching to the ground and hiding behind the trunk of a massive oak. Seonghwa peered around the trunk of the tree, the great width of it forcing him to edge closer to the clearing just to get a clear view. The sight before him made Seonghwa balk in disbelief. 

Smack dab in the middle of the clearing, was a great buck. 

It was massive. It’s meat alone could last his family for weeks. It’s pelt and horns would fetch a good price in the market. 

Seonghwa’s mouth watered at the thought of deer meat sizzling over a fire, seasoned to the heavens and paired with the foreign vegetables that the travelling merchants peddled in the village market. 

He had to shoot it down. There was no way that he would let such a prize go. Seonghwa ripped his eyes away from the clearing, bracing his back on the rough tree trunk. He steadied himself, envisioning his shot. The way was clear, and the arrow would find its home in the buck’s heart; Seonghwa whispered a silent prayer as he drew back his bow.

 _3_. _2_. _1_.

Seonghwa whirled from behind the oak, stepping into position with the grace and determination of an experienced marksman, taking half a second to aim and… the buck was gone. 

Seonghwa’s heart dropped to his knees. His eyes knocked about in their sockets as he scanned the clearing frantically. The space was not very large; it would take Seonghwa less than 50 strides to cross the length of it. Flowers of blue and yellow and pink carpeted the far end of the clearing, their scent as heavenly as before. The stream he had heard earlier ran along the right edge of the clearing, meandering and curving slightly into the clearing before disappearing into the forest beyond. Berry bushes of many sizes littered the ground of the clearing, the biggest ones bordering the stream on the right. 

But the buck was nowhere to be seen. 

It was impossible. If the buck had moved, and so fast that it had disappeared in a matter of seconds, _surely_ Seonghwa would have heard it. 

The pounding of his heart overwhelmed his senses until he could hear and feel the blood roaring in his veins, despair muddying his mind and weighing down his body until he rested on his knees at the base of the great oak. 

_No, no, no. There’s no way._

Seonghwa shot to his feet. Surely the buck hadn’t gotten far. There was still a chance that the mighty beast- his dinner- still wandered in the nearby trees beyond the clearing.

Seonghwa started forward, until he stood at the edge of the clearing. Scanning the small open space again, he stepped forward, the sole of his hunting boot crushing the impossibly green grass underfoot. 

Still no sign of the buck. 

He shuffled a couple of steps further into the clearing, bow drawn, eyes sharp and focused. The air in the clearing was different than in the forest. While the air beyond the edges of the clearing was balmy and heavy, the heat of it causing his skin to become sticky with sweat, the air here was clear and light. Seonghwa inhaled deeply through his nostrils.

 _Clean._ Sweet with the scent of wildflowers.

His addled mind cleared with every exhale, and his focus sharpened on every in-breath. Seonghwa dropped behind a particularly large bush, the thin branches laden with purple berries he had never seen before. His eyes peeked over the top of the bush. _Inhale_. Scanned the clearing. _Exhale_.

There.

On his right, by the stream. The barest of movements in the border of bushes.

Seonghwa could taste the warm deer meat in his mouth, filling his belly. He could see the surprised delight in his mother’s face when he brought home such a grand kill.

 _Now_.

Without hesitation, Seonghwa slinked closer to the stream, his hunter’s instincts taking over. He was less than 10 strides from the bushes where he had spotted the slight movement when he froze in his steps.

Bile rose in Seonghwa’s throat, and his heart raced with panic. His legs, bent in preparation to shoot, now shook in fear. In all his determination to shoot down the buck, Seonghwa had stopped listening. Stopped listening to the sounds of the forest. And now, as he stood in the open clearing, he heard _nothing_.

The chirp of birds making homes in the trees, the soft and constant buzzing of insects, the whisper of wind as it brushed the leaves of the forest. All of it stopped.

Panic overtook Seonghwa, his breath catching in his throat. The air in the clearing suddenly become stifling, even more so than the heavy air of the forest. There was only one explanation for the this. Only one reason the birds would stop singing and the wind would stop whistling.

 _Magic_.

Seonghwa was in Fae territory.

|||||

He refused to go home without food, Fae lands or not. He would shoot down the buck and drag it home so fast that the damned Fae would never even know he was there.

Foolhardy determination coursed in his veins, mingling with pure terror to create a feeling Seonghwa had never felt before. He pushed past the panic, slowing his breaths until he felt that the air wasn’t drowning him. He clutched his bow and arrow tighter, pulling back the string.

10 more strides and he would have his prize. And then he could get the hell out of there.

He started forward again, razor sharp focus on the spot where the bushes quivered again, shuddering slightly even though there was no breeze.

2 more strides and Seonghwa rose to his full height. He would be in full view of the buck behind the bush, but it was too late for the creature now. Seonghwa was close enough to make a certain killing shot.

1 more stride and Seonghwa peered over the border of large bushes, bow drawn taut, the fletching of the ash arrow brushing the side of his face by his eye. He would only have a split second to aim before the buck would try to run, so every moment counted.

First the horns came into view. They were twisted and beautiful, the blunt ends reaching toward the clear blue sky. The sheer size of them excited Seonghwa. Some people would pay a pretty penny for horns as large and perfect as these. Seonghwa thought of all the food that he could buy with the money he would earn from selling the horns, and his resolve steeled even further.

Next came the bright red hair- _bright red hair_?

Seonghwa’s breath caught in his throat and his heart dropped into his stomach as he took in the sight in front of him.

It was a man. A man with _horns_.

 _A Fae_.

The Fae was sitting on the bank of the stream, one foot dipping lazily into the river. Seonghwa froze as he shifted to lie on his back, one arm thrown over his eyes and the other hand resting on his stomach.

His naked stomach. The Fae was _naked_.

Seonghwa’s thoughts raced as he put it together. The buck, the Fae- it wasn’t a coincidence. There was no other explanation for it.

The Fae was a shapeshifter. The Fae was the buck.

Anger flooded Seonghwa so swiftly that it caught him by surprise. He felt robbed.

Robbed of his dinner, robbed of the smile that he would get from his mother for bringing home enough food to last weeks, robbed of the pride he would feel when his father clapped his back and praised him for making such a grand kill.

And then that anger cooled. It simmered into rage.

Rage that consumed him and drove him to take aim. Here, on the bank of the stream, lay one of the same creatures that he’d heard stories about. The creatures that tortured his kind and continued to terrorize despite the Treaty.

Seonghwa never thought this moment would come, but here he was. Within shooting distance of one of those wretched Fae. Pulling back an ash arrow, no less- a weapon that would surely kill it- and no witnesses.

His breathing slowed until it was almost imperceptible and he drew back the arrow, fury hammering in his veins as imagined the flesh of the Fae being pierced by the shiny metal of his arrowhead.

The Fae lay there, arm still thrown over his eyes, horns brushing the grass where he lay. His legs were splayed, one outstretched before him and the other bent at an angle where it dipped into the stream. It opened its mouth and Seonghwa tensed, his arm and back muscles quivering as he took aim. And from the pink lips of the Fae, the _obscenest_ moan sounded and overwhelmed Seonghwa’s senses.

The creature’s other hand, previously splayed on its stomach, had travelled downwards and was now gripping his hard, red cock.

Seonghwa shrank back in disbelief, the taut bow falling limp and the arrow hanging loosely from his fingertips. He dropped into a crouch, the only thing separating him from the moaning Fae being the berry-heavy bushes bordering the stream. 

Seonghwa peered through the leaves, his mouth going dry at the sight of the Fae’s slight hand moving up and down on his length, the thumb rubbing over the swollen head. Each time his thumb brushed over the slit at the head of his cock, the Fae let out an absolutely sinful moan, his small body arching off of the grassy forest floor.

 _Fuck_.

The Fae removed the arm that was covering his eyes, allowing it to travel down and flick over his erect nipples. First the right, and then the left, each flick of his fingers eliciting breathy whimpers from his pink lips. 

His head was thrown back, horns digging into the grass and dirt. His face was red and flushed, the rosy blush travelling from his beautiful face to his heaving chest.

Seonghwa forgot how to breathe. _This isn’t right_.

From the time he was a child, he was taught to hate the Fae. To hate the ugly, twisted creatures that had caused his people so much pain.

And yet, here he was, crouched not 3 feet from one of those same creatures, his pants becoming tight at the sight of the beautiful Fae in the throes of pleasure.

Seonghwa’s senses were overcome by the slick noise of the Fae’s hand moving faster and faster, his drawn-out moans and whimpers, the sight of the Fae writhing and thrusting up into his own hand, the _smell_ of him. 

He smelled like the forest after a spring shower; earthy and sweet. Like flowers in their first bloom. It was almost as if Seonghwa could taste him on his tongue. 

Seonghwa watched as the Fae’s hand moved impossibly fast over his weeping cock, his breaths becoming stuttered until he shattered, a high-pitched noise falling from his lips.

Iridescent white liquid shot from the Fae’s twitching member, pooling on his taut and lightly muscled stomach before trailing down and coating the grass now crushed beneath the weight of him.

Seonghwa remained frozen. The Fae panted, eyes squeezed shut, horns dirty with grass and soil. He continued to pump his now limp cock until every drop of cum had been drained, the liquid dripping down his side. Seonghwa watched as the earth soaked up the Fae’s cum, muscles tense from sitting in the same position for so long.

And then the clearing exploded in a wave of colour.

The impossibly green grass became brighter and grew longer right in front of Seonghwa’s eyes. The purple berries on the bush separating Seonghwa from the panting Fae grew fat and heavy, falling off of the thin branches and splattering at his feet. The leaves in the trees behind him rustled, as if the trees themselves were shuddering with pleasure at the Fae’s release.

Seonghwa could not help but whirl, mouth gaping and eyes wide in awe at the magic.

 _Magic_. Magic that didn’t destroy, but gave life.

Seonghwa’s breaths punched out of him at disbelief, his head reeling from the first display of Fae magic that he’d ever experienced in his short 20 years of life.

When he turned back around, he found himself face to face with a pair of cerulean eyes boring deep into him. The Fae sat up and met Seonghwa’s awed gaze with what looked like _amusement_. 

“Did you enjoy the show?” the red-haired Fae’s smooth voice was still hoarse, but the sultry words only made Seonghwa’s pants tighten further.

Without a second thought, Seonghwa raised his bow and shot an ash arrow at the Fae’s heart.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was originally supposed to be 2 chapters long, but I got a little carried away ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> If you squint hard enough you can spot the *smidgen* of plot  
> Enjoy!

Seonghwa tried to shut the door behind him as quietly as possible, the small cottage and everyone in it already slumbering peacefully. His snares had managed to capture three rabbits, enough for a stew and possibly some jerky if they rationed it properly.

He slid off his hunting boots and laid them by the door carefully, laying his bow and full quiver next to it as he wandered into the kitchen and lit some candles. The dim yellow light was enough for Seonghwa to see as he worked, skinning the rabbits and gutting them carefully.

Exhaustion tugged his eyelids downwards, and the muscles in his legs barked in protest from being abused all day.

He finished his work quickly, storing the prepared meat and cleaning the skin for his mother to use. Once he disposed of the entrails, he washed the blood from his hands and shuffled to his room, grabbing his bow and quiver as he went.

The moment he closed the door to his room, he slumped against it, the day’s events crashing down on him like a violent wave. His bow and quiver were lain down none too gently, the heavy quiver threatening to tip over where Seonghwa had unceremoniously dropped it.

Seonghwa pushed himself off of the door, peeling his clothes off as he went. His shirt was stuck to his skin with sweat and Seonghwa winced as he struggled to bring the stiff, sodden material over his head.

His pants were no better, but with some struggle Seonghwa managed to yank them from his legs and toss them into a corner of the small room, dragging a pair of light sleeping pants up his legs before he trudged to bed.

His room was small, and given that he was the youngest, Seonghwa was always given the short end of the stick. On the right side of the room, a rickety bed with a mattress as old as Seonghwa was pushed against the wall, right beneath the window. On the left, there was a dresser with three drawers, a cracked mirror resting on top. Beside the mirror were little baubles that Seonghwa had collected over the years: a stuffed rabbit’s foot that his mother had made for luck, a red stone so smooth and polished that Seonghwa had found when he was a child and was utterly convinced was a precious gemstone, and an arrowhead, now rusted from age, with which he made his first kill.

The space between the dresser and the bed was barely enough for Seonghwa to walk through without his limbs brushing the furniture.

He collapsed on his bed, the ancient frame groaning in protest under his dead weight. He didn’t bother pulling the covers over him; the night was mild and Seonghwa’s body still burned with the memory of what happened in the clearing.

Sliver light streamed in from the window above him. Moonlight danced on his muscled torso, shifting over his golden skin as he breathed softly.

His eyes began to close of their own accord, fatigue finally winning over as he allowed sleep to pull him under.

_Pink, full lips. Small, naked body._

Seonghwa jolted awake and the tendrils of sleep that had nearly taken his mind and body to the land of dreams were yanked away by intruding thoughts of the Fae.

The beautiful, sultry, _dangerous_ Fae.

Seonghwa panted at the thought of the red-haired creature, his heart racing and his cock betraying him by hardening at the memory of the Fae’s naked body as it had stalked toward him in the clearing

||||| 

_Seonghwa raised his bow and shot an ash arrow at the Fae’s heart. His eyes closed, waiting for the thud and slicing of flesh as the arrow hit home. Only, it never came._

_His eyes snapped open to see the Fae holding the ash arrow in his hand, the needle-sharp arrowhead a mere millimeter away from his piercing his golden skin. The Fae’s eyes glinted with amusement as Seonghwa’s jaw dropped in shock._

_He shot the Fae point blank. And the Fae_ caught _the arrow. With his bare hands._

_Fear flooded Seonghwa, his eyes widening as he backed away from the Fae. Clearly his bow and arrows were no match against the creature, and he was now a dead man walking. Still, he drew another arrow and pointed it at the Fae as he backed toward the tree line._

_He schooled his expression into one of disdain as he pulled the arrow back with all the strength that he could muster; if he was going to die here, he would die fighting._

_The red-haired Fae smiled at Seonghwa, his red eyebrow quirking up with curiosity._

_“Don’t you want your arrow back?” the Fae’s hoarse, sensual voice travelled right through Seonghwa and went straight to his cock. It twitched ever so slightly, but the minute movement was enough to draw the Fae’s attention. The Fae grinned, baring his white teeth at Seonghwa as he rose from his spot behind the bushes._

His teeth are blunt _, Seonghwa noted._ Like a human.

_Seonghwa stopped in his tracks as the Fae stepped over the bush border and walked toward him slowly, his large antlers casting a shadow over the ground in front of him._

_Seonghwa willed his body to move, but it would not listen. He wanted so badly to turn and run as fast as he could back to the safety of his home, but the Fae’s gaze held him there._

_Not by magic, but by Seonghwa’s own traitorous body. He was frozen in fear._

_The Fae drew ever-closer, the sun illuminating his golden skin from behind and shining through his antlers. It made him look ethereal. Seonghwa was sure he stopped breathing._

_Seonghwa gazed down at the beautiful Fae as it halted right in front of him, or rather, his drawn arrow. His ash arrow lay in the open palm of his upturned hand. The Fae’s blue eyes gazed deeply into Seonghwa’s own brown ones as he raised his palm, offering the weapon back to Seonghwa._

_Seonghwa loosed a breath he didn’t realized he was holding._

_“Why?” the question slipped out, laced with disgust and disbelief before he could stop himself, and he beat himself mentally for it. Here was a Fae, a powerful one it seemed, offering what looked like a chance to escape, and Seonghwa chose to_ question it _?_

_The Fae could clearly see the mental beating that Seonghwa was giving himself as he giggled softly and titled his head to the side. The sound his soft laughter stopped any and all thoughts that were racing through Seonghwa’s mind as he focused fully on the being in front of him._

_The Fae was shorter than him by a couple of inches, but his horns extended well beyond the top of Seonghwa’s head. His face was sharp and beautiful, the angles of his jaw and nose both harsh and soft at the same time. His pink lips were puffy, likely from the…_ events _earlier, where he had bitten them once or twice in the heat of his pleasure. His body was small and lithe, his honey-coloured skin flawless and smooth._

_Seonghwa wanted to run his hands down the Fae’s muscle torso, he wanted to lick-_

_Seonghwa started as he realized where his mind had wandered, banishing the thoughts immediately. Instead he released the tight grip on his drawn arrow, lowering it slowly. He slowly replaced the arrow in his quiver and slung his bow over his shoulder, removing the hunting knife tucked at the base of his spine and raising it in front of him. Never once did he break eye contact with the accursed creature._

_Seonghwa raised a tentative hand and retrieved the arrow from the Fae’s waiting palm, careful not to touch his skin. The Fae looked at him expectantly for a beat, but upon realizing that Seonghwa would continue to glare at him and remain silent, he heaved a sigh._

_“You’re welcome,” the Fae crossed his arms over his bare chest. Seonghwa could not help but tense at the movement._

_“Thank you,” the words came out softer than he’d expected. The hunting knife and newly reclaimed ash arrow remained pointed at the red-haired Fae._

_Seonghwa was blinded by the brilliance of the Fae’s smile as the red-haired creature slightly nodded his acknowledgement before turning on his heels and walking to the opposite end of the clearing. He considered shooting an arrow into the Fae’s back, but decided against it. The Fae was_ letting him go _, and he wasn’t about to lose the opportunity._

_Seonghwa’s eyes could not help but travel to the Fae’s round, pert bottom. His mind and body betrayed him once again as images flashed in his mind- Seonghwa grabbing the Fae’s round ass as the Fae rode him, Seonghwa licking and biting the smooth skin before spreading him and fucking him open with his tongue, the way his ass would turn red as Seonghwa snapped his hips into the Fae from behind._

_His cock twitched again, and Seonghwa realized he was dangerously close to coming without even being touched._

_Seonghwa continued to stare unabashedly as the Fae crossed into the cluster of colorful wildflowers at the far end of the clearing. As if he could sense Seonghwa’s gaze, the Fae looked over his shoulder one last time, giving Seonghwa a sinful smile before walking beyond the tree line and out of Seonghwa’s sight._

|||||

A heavy sigh left Seonghwa’s lips as he threw his arms over his face, trying desperately to banish the image of the Fae from his head. Regardless of his effort, his own cock steadily grew harder until it tented the thin material of his sleeping pants.

Still, Seonghwa refused to acknowledge it, closing his eyes and trying to get some sleep before another day of hunting tomorrow.

But the Fae still haunted him.

His hard member twitched and strained in his pants, the friction against the thin material not helping the situation at all.

His mind wandered to the events of that day and his cock got impossibly and unbelievably harder, the heat of it burning Seonghwa until he could stand it no more.

Grunting with effort, Seonghwa half leaned and half crawled from his bed and reach toward the bottom drawer of his dresser where he’d hidden a small jar of unscented oil in the back corner.

He yanked it out and fell back on his bed before hurriedly drawing his pants down, the material stretched and straining against his muscled thighs.

Seonghwa opened the jar and dipped three fingers in, scooping the oil into his palm and spreading it over his hand before placing the jar gently on the floor.

His hand knew what to do as it gripped his cock, squeezing the base. Seonghwa sighed at the pressure, _finally_ finding some relief. He began slowly, dragging a loose hand up and down his length, the weight of it heavy in his palm.

The oil dripped down his balls, sliding to his hole where he let his slick fingers wander, circling the tight ring of muscle. _Not tonight_. He needed to find his release fast so he could finally be rid of thoughts of the Fae.

He brought his hand back to his slick cock, moving faster and twisting his wrist as he reached the swollen head. His back arched and his eyes skewed shut, the bed protesting quietly at the movement.

Seonghwa’s other hand found his nipples, flicking over it as the Fae had done, causing a gasp to punch out of Seonghwa’s lungs. He pinched and twisted the erect buds, legs tensing as his release drew close.

His hand moved faster, gripped tighter now. Colour raced across the back of Seonghwa’s eyelids- purple berries, green grass, _red hair_.

Red hair that he would grip tightly in his hands as the Fae’s pink lips wrapped around his cock and sucked. Seonghwa would fuck his throat, reveling in the chokes and gasps that left the Fae’s wicked mouth. The red-haired Fae would look up at him, saliva and pre-cum dripping down his chin, looking absolutely _wrecked_.

The image itself was almost enough to make Seonghwa come.

Seonghwa would pick him up and turn him around, bend him over _anything_ and fuck him from behind. The Fae would be tight and hot, his absolutely perfect ass pressing back as Seonghwa slammed into him.

Seonghwa would grab his antlers and pull him back until the Fae’s back arched at an obscene angle, the smaller man clenching around Seonghwa’s cock, begging for release.

When the Fae comes, he would moan until his voice is hoarse and tears are streaming down his beautiful face. The tight spasms of the Fae around him would be overwhelming, and Seonghwa would come inside him with a roar, fucking his cum into the Fae’s tight asshole until it dripped down and drew white streaks down his thighs. And the Fae would let Seonghwa _use_ him until he couldn’t anymore.

With the thought of coming inside of the Fae, Seonghwa finally found relief. His back stiffened and his muscles tensed as cum shot from his abused cock and onto his stomach. Seonghwa continued to stroke himself, muffling his moans by pressing a hand against his mouth.

His hips bucked up of their own accord, chasing the fantasy of the small Fae wrapped around him, fucking him.

When his member was completely drained, Seonghwa let his dirty hand fall off the bed, knocking gently against the jar of oil still on the floor. He grimaced as he felt the cum on his stomach already drying but allowed himself a few moments to catch his breath as he came down from his high.

He shifted out of bed reluctantly and hurriedly found the shirt he’d disposed of earlier, using the soiled material to wipe his torso and hand clean before returning the jar to its rightful place.

Seonghwa collapsed once again on his bed, sleep finding him almost immediately, bringing with it visions of the Fae.

|||||

Seonghwa’s sleep was fitful, his dreams saturated with images of the Fae. When he woke, he found his cock standing at attention. This time he chose to ignore it, hurrying to the bath to wash off the dirt and grime of yesterday.

Despite his late night, he had still risen before the rest of his family, so the cottage remained quiet as he tugged on a fresh shirt and pants, strapping the quiver to his back. He grabbed a few pieces of jerky for his lunch before writing a quick note for his mother to find in the kitchen, telling her where to find the rabbit meat he’d cleaned last night.

Hopefully there would be a warm stew waiting for him when he returned.

After pulling on his hunting boots, Seonghwa stepped quietly outside, pulling the door shut behind him. The spring hair was crisp this morning, a cool breeze ruffling his hair as he walked through the village to the Greenwood.

It wasn’t too early, but most of the town still slept, the only building showing any signs of life being the baker as he rose early to make the day’s goods. Smoke swirled from the bakery’s chimney, infusing the air with the sweet scent of puff pastries and fresh bread.

Seonghwa strolled leisurely through the town, the fresh air filling his lungs with each deep breath and cleansing him from the inside out. As he drew closer to the border of the Greenwood, his mind wandered once again to thoughts of the Fae.

_No. Not today._

Today he had to make a kill.

The moment he set foot in the Greenwood, he became a hunter. His senses sharpened and his footfalls were barely audible on the dew-soaked forest floor. The forest was quiet in the morning. The only things he could hear was the whisper of wind as it breezed past and small animals chittering quietly. Insets buzzed lazily in the trees and in the bushes, as if they still hadn’t quite managed to wake up.

Seonghwa wandered further in, resetting his snares from last night before drawing an arrow and nocking it loosely. His resolve strengthened as the familiarity of the bow in his grip gave him confidence. Maybe his weapon was no match for a Fae, but it could definitely fell a deer. Today would be the day.

He was ready for the hunt.

||||| 

Hours had past and it was nearing midday. Or at least that was what Seonghwa gleaned from the poor view he had of the sky through the heavy canopy of leaves.

The cool air of morning had quickly turned hot and heavy, even more so than the day before. Sweat gleamed on Seonghwa’s back and shoulders; he’d removed his shirt after he’d completely soaked through it, wrapping it around his waist instead.

He chewed idly on a piece of jerky, scanning the area around him.

He could hear the animals in the trees above him, but no movement on the ground at all. Seonghwa’s shoulders slumped at the realization, shoving his arrow back into its quiver and swinging his bow onto his back.

He strolled through the forest quietly, no weapon clutched in his hands but alert. Seonghwa focused, listening for any sounds of game for him to hunt, but to no avail. The sun, though mostly blocked by the trees, was unforgiving as it beat down on him.

His sweat dripped from his forehead and into his eyes, and his chest heaved with effort.

 _I really should have brought a flask_. It was on oversight on his part- the result of a certain red-haired Fae addling his mind.

Seonghwa knew he needed water. Soon too, if he didn’t want to pass out from the heat. He carried on, sticking to the denser areas with more shade, listening and looking for any signs of water.

He trudged forward relentlessly, each step demanding and heavy. The sound of cicadas singing rang in his ears and his head throbbed from the onslaught of noise. His eyelids became heavy, vision blurring until he was stumbling through the shrubbery like a newborn doe- clumsy and graceless. Seonghwa’s heart was bounding in his chest and he could feel each pulsing beat in the tips of his fingers and toes.

Seonghwa could feel unconsciousness creeping behind him like a wild cat stalking its prey, making his vision black around the edges. Bile rose in his throat as his stomach churned, and he eventually doubled over and retched at the base of a tree until he’d emptied the sorry contents of his stomach onto the clovers and mushrooms littering the ground.

 _Water. He needed water_ now.

Seonghwa felt the heat sickness prepare to snatch him from his body and knock him out cold in the middle of the Greenwood where no one would find him. His body would rot here, the meat picked at by scavengers, worms making their home in whatever was left over.

Like hell if that’s how he was going to die.

Seonghwa wrenched himself to his feet, bracing himself on his forearms against the trunk of the tree before pushing off and lurching in whichever direction his feet were blindly leading him. Every muscle in his body screamed as he nearly went sprawling, catching himself on shaky arms and forcing himself forward despite every instinct crying out for him to just _stop_.

He had walked for about 10 minutes when he heard it: a stream. Excitement and relief buzzed hazily in his veins as he thought of the cool water running down his throat and over his over-heated body. With each step, the rushing water became louder until it roared in his ears and Seonghwa pushed forward until he stumbled past a tree… and straight into the clearing from the day before.

He stood on the far end of the clearing, the sound of water bubbling behind the border of bushes teasing him, taunting him. Seonghwa paid no regard to whatever creature may have been lurking in the clearing as he stalked forward. His legs shook and the muscles locked up from the effort, but he was so _close_.

50 strides forward, and then he would have water. Black dots danced in his vision and his breaths became shallow. Seonghwa heaved as he tried to drag enough air into his lungs, but his battered body wouldn’t listen.

40 strides away, and Seonghwa fell to his knees, dry heaving onto the bright green grass that he was twisting between his fingers. The only thing that came up was bile, and his nose and eyes burned as his entire body was seized with spasms of his retching. Seonghwa could not gather the strength to push himself back onto his feet as the sun beat down on him unforgivingly.

The canopy of leaves in the forest no longer protected him in the clearing, the light of the sun given free rein to envelop the clearing with unbearable heat.

Seonghwa crawled forward, or at least attempted to. The sound of the stream was mocking him, the rushing water becoming louder and beckoning him closer.

But he could not do it. Seonghwa felt the heat sickness finally sink its hideous claws into him and drag him into the cold dark of sleep. The colours in his visions swirled, a mass of purple, green, blue, yellow, and _red_.

The impossibly green grass was as soft as a pillow as his head hit the ground.

|||||

Seonghwa’s eyelids felt glued shut, and it took a considerable effort to open them. His tongue was dry and plastered to the roof of his mouth, and his body ached in places that had never been in Seonghwa’s awareness until that moment.

When he had managed to blink the remnants of sleep from his vision, he found himself looking up at the smooth wooden ceiling of what appeared to be a cottage.

He whipped his head to the side, the movement sending a wave up pain from the top of his head to the tips of his toes, and he lurched over the side of the bed he lay on to retch onto a beautiful woven rug sprawled out beneath the wooden bed frame.

His vision swam, the white and black pattern of the soft pink rug dancing and making him dizzy.

He heaved and heaved, but nothing left him. His stomach was completely empty. Seonghwa fell back against the bed, _so_ tempted to let sleep take him again.

He knew he wasn’t dead; everything hurt too much.

So _where_ in the seven hells was he?

Seonghwa glanced around the room from where he laid buried in pillows. It was a relatively big room, as large as the main room in his family’s modest home. The bed he lay on was pushed against the back wall, across from a set of stairs that led directly to the lower floor. A dresser sat on his right, and resting atop it were his bow and quiver.

Seonghwa felt relief wash through his body, followed immediately by dread. The dresser was at least 5 strides from him, and Seonghwa knew that if he attempted to make the journey, he would surely pass out and leave himself vulnerable to whatever person or _thing_ had brought him here.

To his left, pressed against the opposite wall, was a writing table placed underneath a stained glassed window. Moonlight streamed in, painting the few papers resting on the desk in soft hues of pink, yellow, orange and blue.

Seonghwa glanced to his right again, measuring his chances of grabbing his bow and quiver before whoever had brought him here came up and found him.

A glint of something shiny caught in the corner of his eye, and he craned his neck until his gaze rested on a glass goblet placed neatly on the bed-side table. Underneath it was a scrap of paper with a single word written in swirling handwriting.

 _Drink_.

Seonghwa leaned over and grasped the glass in his hand, gripping it with a second when the tremors in his hand became so overwhelming that he could not bring the cup to his mouth without spilling the contents.

He sniffed it warily. It looked and smelled like water, but Seonghwa knew of several poisons that were tasteless and scentless, virtually undetectable until its victim lay dead, frothing at the mouth.

It was out of pure desperation that he brought the glass to his lips and sipped slowly, savoring every sip as it snaked down his dry throat and cooled his blazing body from the inside out. By the time he finished the glass, Seonghwa felt almost _good_ , as if the heat sickness that had him in its clutches not moments ago hadn’t existed at all.

Seonghwa’s pounding headache subsided and his cramping muscles relaxed into the cloud-like pillows. His hands were as steady as a rock as he quietly placed the glass back down on the bed-side table and shifted so his feet hung off the side of the bed.

Slowly he inched forward, until his bare feet rested on the soft pink rug beneath the bed. Seonghwa rose off the bed, testing his balance and strength that had returned with unbelievable speed with only one glass of water. It was almost like…

 _Magic_.

Seonghwa’s breathing stuttered as he lurched soundlessly for his bow and quiver, throwing the quiver over his back and nocking an arrow as silently as possible. His body did not fail him; years of training and experience in the forest made him a lithe and silent predator. With his wits about him once again, Seonghwa’s senses homed in on the sounds floating up the stairs from the level below: the sizzling of meat on the stove, the boiling of water, someone softly humming along to a silent song.

He started forward, crouching low on instinct, his footfalls merely a whisper on the smooth wooden floor. As he passed by the dresser, he glanced to the right briefly and caught a view of himself in a mirror placed beside it that he hadn’t noticed before.

The mirror was tall, almost the length of his own body. It was fixed onto two legs, standing on its own rather than being hoisted onto the wall. Its surface was smooth and shiny unlike the sorry excuse for a mirror Seonghwa had in his own room.

The flawless glass presented Seonghwa with a sight that he hadn’t been expecting.

Whoever had brought him here had taken the liberty of changing Seonghwa’s sweat-soaked hunting clothes. The only scrap of clothing covering his modesty was a pair of white, silken sleeping pants that did nothing to conceal the appendage beneath.

Considering the state he’d been in mere hours ago, Seonghwa looked well. His skin was a little paler than usual and the circles below his eyes were more pronounced, but he otherwise looked healthy, if not a smidge sleep-deprived.

Seonghwa’s head swiveled sharply back to the stairs, the sound of the person beneath him humming getting infinitely louder as they finished cooking. The smell was absolutely heavenly and it was all Seonghwa could do not to float down the stairs and beg for a taste.

Steeling himself, he glided forward, noiselessly making his way down to the lower level. The scent of seasoned meat slammed into him, assaulting his senses and causing his belly to let out the biggest grumble it could muster.

Seonghwa cringed at his body’s betrayal, praying to whichever gods were listening that no one heard his stomach’s angry rumbles.

The lower level was open concept, revealing the entirety of the modest cottage from Seonghwa’s vantage point. Directly in front of him, on the right side of the cottage, was a small sitting room complete with plush couches and a low-lying table covered in papers. All of the seats were arranged in a crude semi-circle facing the large hearth built into the wall, which was currently blazing with an inviting fire. The door- _an exit_ \- was a couple feet away from the hearth, within sprinting distance were it not for the pieces of furniture strewn about.

On his left was a modestly sized dining table.

 _Two place settings_ , Seonghwa noticed. The rest of the space on the table was occupied by various pouches of herbs and vials of swirling, cloudy liquid, complete with a large mortar and pestle and- _is that a cauldron_?

Seonghwa tore his eyes away from the ingredients-

 _Ingredients for spells_ , he realized.

His sight zeroed in on the slight red-haired and buck-horned Fae that hummed idly in the kitchen. His back was to Seonghwa.

 _He’s wearing clothes_ , Seonghwa noted as the Fae concentrated on plating the food that he’d been making as Seonghwa slept. The Fae wore a loose white shirt over sinfully tight black pants. The light of the lanterns hung from the ceiling shone down on him, rendering the shirt transparent. Seonghwa’s mouth became dry at the sight of the Fae’s small waist beneath his clothes.

The Fae stopped humming and Seonghwa snapped back to attention, drawing back the string of his bow. His muscles screamed at the effort, but he held his stance, ash arrow pointed directly at the Fae’s back.

“I think we have established that won’t work on me,” the Fae sighed heavily through his nose, his words laced with amusement and exhaustion. Seonghwa kept his bow drawn. The Fae turned around to look at Seonghwa, his cerulean eyes piercing Seonghwa’s own from across the cottage.

“You can put that thing down,” the Fae leaned against the counter behind him. “If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it already.”

Seonghwa’s heart raced at the admission. “Why did you bring me here?” The question came out hoarse. Undignified. _Weak_.

He pulled the string back until he was sure it would snap.

The Fae merely quirked an eyebrow, angling his head as he replied, “You were dying.”

Everything around Seonghwa stopped. His senses dulled until the crackling of the hearth was nothing more than a dull buzzing in his ears. _Dying_.

The reality of it knocked the breath from Seonghwa’s lungs and it was all he could not to double over and dry heave on the staircase.

“Why did you save me?” Seonghwa’s own voice sounded foreign in his ears, the sound muffled by his shock. A _Fae_ had saved his life.

The red-haired man just shrugged. “It’s kind of my job.”

_His job?_

He turned around briefly, lifting the two plates of food from the counter behind him before walking over to the dining table and setting them down gently. Seonghwa merely watched him, the tip of his arrow mirroring his line of sight, following the man as he sat down and gestured for Seonghwa to join him with a slight incline of his head, the twisted horns atop it glinting in the lantern’s light.

Seonghwa hesitated. He knew that what the Fae said rang true. If he’d wanted Seonghwa dead, he’d had plenty of opportunity to make it happen. But here he stood, brought back from the brink of death but one of the very creatures that made his blood turn to ice in his veins from sheer, unadulterated terror.

His arm trembled as he loosened his grip and brought the bow down, climbing warily down the last couple of steps. Seonghwa removed his quiver from his back, placing it and the bow gently down on the table as he slid into the seat across from the Fae. The ash arrow remained tight in grip; the gleaming tip was directed pointedly at the Fae.

The Fae tried to refrain from rolling his eyes at Seonghwa- he failed miserably- as he silently gestured for Seonghwa to eat. Seonghwa glanced quickly at his plate and his mouth instantly watered at the sight of seasoned chicken, steamed vegetables and wild rice heaped on his plate.

He raised a tentative hand, gripping the fork placed beside his plate before scooping some of the wild rice into his mouth.

The taste of it sent Seonghwa’s mind reeling, each flavor bursting on his tongue in a way that even his mother hadn’t achieved. It was savory and spicy and _addictive_ ; before Seonghwa could stop himself, he shoveled mouthful after mouthful down, barely chewing as he demolished everything on his plate.

The Fae’s soft chuckle pulled him from his frenzy, fork stopping midway through its journey from the plate to his waiting mouth. Seonghwa glanced up to find the Fae grinning at him, cerulean eyes crinkled into breathtaking crescents.

The Fae snapped his fingers, and a glass of water appeared in front of each of them. Seonghwa chair scraped against the floor as he pushed back from the table, fork clattering on his plate as he aimed the arrow at the Fae.

“Relax,” the Fae rolled his eyes again, this time not bothering to hide it. “It’s just more of that tonic I left for you upstairs. To help you regain your strength.”

The Fae sipped from his own glass, wordlessly ordering Seonghwa to do the same. That small display of magic dredged up enough fear to have Seonghwa blindly obeying, picking up his own glass and sipping hesitantly.

Surely enough, he felt more of his strength return to his body. A glance in the reflection of his cutlery showed almost no dark circles weighing down his chocolate coloured eyes, a healthy glow dusting his face. The Fae nodded to himself, watching life return to Seonghwa and colour his cheeks a dusty pink.

“This is your job?” Seonghwa’s voice was so timid that he barely heard himself speak, not even registering the words leaving his lips until they floated between himself and the Fae.

The red-haired man leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest and studying Seonghwa with an expression that he couldn’t name.

“Yes, it is,” the Fae conceded.

“And _what_ , exactly, is your job?” Seonghwa grew bolder, raising his chin and staring the Fae dead in the eyes.

The corner of the Fae’s pink lips quirked up, his tongue coming out to run over his bottom lip before he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. Seonghwa could not stop himself as he leaned further back in his chair. His hands gripped the ash arrow so hard that the golden skin of his hands turned white.

“I am the guardian of the Greenwood,” the Fae announced casually. “But you can call me Hongjoong.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright y'all here is chapter 3!   
> The next chapter will most likely be the last :'(  
> But for now, enjoy!

Dinner ended on a quiet note, the Fae- _Hongjoong_ \- quietly collecting the now-empty plates and glasses lying in front of them before gently gesturing for Seonghwa to follow him to the semi-circle of couches sprawled in front of the blazing hearth.

After Hongjoong’s admission that he’s the guardian of the Greenwood, Seonghwa immediately clammed up, choosing to eat silently so as to not provoke the Fae any further. If the legends and rumors were true, Hongjoong was not just any Fae.

No, Seonghwa was in the home of one of the most powerful Fae in history.

His kind were called the Ferax: Fae that wielded the magic of nature. Seonghwa’s eyes had not failed him yesterday in the clearing. It truly was life that flowed from Hongjoong’s essence into the grass and flowers and berries and trees. The Ferax reaped and sowed the Earth, making it possible for all manner creature to live and thrive.

And if legend rang true, Hongjoong was the most powerful of all.

His name echoed in stories from times of the war- a fierce warrior who brandished the power of Earth.

Before lines were drawn across territories, Hongjoong’s land had stretched beyond this forest, past Seonghwa’s quaint village at the border and almost all the way to the Eastern Sea.

He was hailed as the Prince of Spring and everyone who lived in his land, Fae or human, lived in harmony.

Seonghwa observed him through the dark hair that flopped over his forehead and into his eyes as he settled into the plush cushions of the couch set directly opposite of the hearth. The heat of the flame didn’t stifle him; rather, it was comfortable and warm, wrapping around his body like a blanket. Between the cloudy softness of the couch cushions and the inviting warmth of the hearth, Seonghwa struggled not to slump back and sink down into his seat, allowing sleep to take him right then and there.

He sat ramrod straight instead, perched on the edge of the couch. His eyes were owlishly wide as he watched Hongjoong sit on a chair on Seonghwa’s left side, forgoing his initial attempt to sit on the same couch as Seonghwa after seeing the human glancing so warily at him.

Hongjoong cleared his throat before speaking. “I will return you to your village in the morning. The tonic will have had its full effect by then, and you’ll have your strength back after a good night’s sleep.”

Seonghwa merely blinked at him, nodding slowly after a moment. Hongjoong only sighed, leaning back into his chair. He gazed into the hearth, the slow dance of the orange and yellow flames hypnotizing him. The logs beneath crackled and embers flew upward into the chimney above.

“-they true?” Hongjoong’s head snapped to Seonghwa as he registered that the man was speaking to him. Seonghwa recoiled at the sudden action, leaning further back in the couch. Hongjoong shifted forward and tried to plaster what he hoped was a reassuring smile on his face.

“Sorry, I zoned out a bit,” Hongjoong spoke softly, attempting to coax Seonghwa out of the cocoon of fear he’d spun himself into. He had no intention of hurting the man, but he could understand why Seonghwa withdrew from him. The history between their peoples was tumultuous at best.

Seonghwa spoke again, his voice so quiet that even Hongjoong’s Fae hearing strained to hear his words.

“The legends about you… are they true?”

Seonghwa could barely stand to look the Fae in the eye, opting to look anywhere else: his tall, twisted horns, his fiery red hair, his small, strong hands.

“I don’t know,” Hongjoong chuckled. “What have you heard about me?”

Seonghwa ripped his eyes away from the antlers atop his head, glancing briefly at Hongjoong before deciding that the stained spot where Hongjoong had once spilled tea on the sitting room rug was far more interesting to look at.

“You ruled these lands. Before the war, I mean,” Seonghwa started. He was still bare-chested and Hongjoong watched as a rosy flush graced his neck and broad chest. His hands worried the silky white material of the sleeping pants that Hongjoong had slid on him hours earlier.

“I did,” Hongjoong confirmed.

“Humans and Fae… they lived together here. In peace,” Seonghwa looked into the hearth, his eyes glazed over as if he was looking 300 years in the past.

Hongjoong remembered those times fondly. The Greenwood was full of life then. Fae lived in the forest while the humans lived on the outskirts and edges. A large market connected their communities, where merchants would peddle their wares and friends would come to meet and play. The sound of children’s laughter pealed like bells over the treetops during the day, and at night children and adults alike gathered around large bonfires before the Greenwood as both human and Fae elders weaved stories about the gods that created this land and all who lived on it.

Hongjoong watched over it all, protected them all. And when the time came, he fought for them all.

“They did. It feels like a lifetime ago,” Hongjoong admitted.

“Is it true… that you fought with the humans?” Seonghwa asked, still watching the twisting flames of the hearth fire. His hands were clasped tightly on his lap, the force of his grip so strong that the veins in his hands and arms became visible beneath his golden skin. Hongjoong watched him, admiring the human’s beautiful face though it was blanched in fear.

“Yes, I did fight with the humans. So did a great number of Fae,” Hongjoong said, tearing his eyes away from tracing the line of Seonghwa’s nose, the soft edges of his lips.

“But no matter how hard I fought for them, the humans that were left… the injured, elderly, women and children… they were terrified of me. They didn’t remember what a time of peace felt like after so long at war.”

Hongjoong could feel his eyes begin to burn. These centuries after the war had been the loneliest of his long life. Where there was once love and joy, feelings of hatred and disdain remained.

“I tried my hardest. To make things in my territory the way they once were. But our two peoples could no longer trust each other as they once had,” Hongjoong’s voice came out strained, causing Seonghwa to look slowly at him. He saw the tears lining the Fae’s eyes and felt a stirring in his chest.

_Pity_.

He pitied the Fae.

Seonghwa could not shake the feeling from him as Hongjoong worried his bottom lip, sniffling softly.

“I allowed the territory lines to be drawn. Humans could take the forest by day, and the Fae had the night. But I still watched over them all,” Hongjoong slumped back as if exhausted by the journey his memories took him on. His eyelids fluttered as he willed the tears not to fall.

It had been so long since he’s relived those times and he missed it so much that it was _painful_.

A soft rustling drew him out of his haze and he looked to the side to see Seonghwa shifting closer to him. There was several feet of distance between the two, but the human looked visibly more comfortable. His muscles were still tense, but he now looked sincerely at Hongjoong’s face. His eyes searched the Fae’s beautiful visage before settling his gaze on Hongjoong’s bright cerulean eyes.

Hongjoong’s heart swelled at what he saw there: a tiny inkling of trust.

_Better than nothing_.

|||||

To Hongjoong’s surprise, the two of them barely slept. Seonghwa emerged from his fear-hardened shell quite quickly once he saw for himself that Hongjoong was not the monster that every Fae-hating person deemed his kind to be.

He shifted closer and closer to Hongjoong as their conversation flowed easily, even asking once to touch Hongjoong’s antlers. Seonghwa’s eyes had been comically wide when Hongjoong vanished the antlers from right beneath the human’s fingertips. The expression on his face alone had Hongjoong doubling over with laughter, Seonghwa’s soft and hesitant chuckles joining his hearty laughs.

They talked and talked, Seonghwa questioning Hongjoong on his powers and Hongjoong happily demonstrating.

That is, until his buck form knocked several lanterns from the ceiling of the modest cottage; they decided that the demonstrations were best reserved to the outdoors after that.

The pair retired as the sun began to rise over the horizon, flooding the small sitting area in a soft pink light. Seonghwa could only stare as Hongjoong’s skin glowed in the light of sunrise, his pink lips upturned in a smile that reached his eyes. The Fae offered his hand to Seonghwa, gently leading him up the stairs and to the bed.

With a snap of his fingers, Seonghwa’s bow and quiver- which had been long forgotten on the dining table- appeared once again atop the dresser.

Hongjoong stood silently by the writing desk as Seonghwa eased himself back into bed, feeling tendrils of sleep already coming to claim him.

“I shall wake you in a couple of hours,” Hongjoong said quietly. “Your parents must be worried.”

Seonghwa merely shrugged, adjusting a pillow behind his neck.

“Some hunts take me several days. This is nothing new to them,” Seonghwa confessed, gazing beyond Hongjoong to the beautiful stained-glass window.

It hit Seonghwa then: he would go home empty-handed. Two days hunting and nothing to show for it.

His brow creased as he caught his bottom lip between his teeth, biting down on it none too gently. The sudden change did not go unnoticed by Hongjoong, who came and sat at the foot of the bed.

A quirk of the Fae’s eyebrow was all the question he gave Seonghwa, who breathed heavily through his nose.

“I didn’t catch anything. I have nothing to bring back to my family,” Seonghwa felt a stone sink slowly, painfully into his gut. The meat from the rabbits should have sufficed for dinner, but if he did not come home with a bigger kill there was no doubt that their food stores would last for only a couple of days.

Hongjoong hummed, looking thoughtfully at Seonghwa. He’d noticed the man’s slender body but chose not to say anything before.

Seonghwa was still well muscled, the hard lines of his stomach and arms an indication of his hunting prowess. However, his ribs were beginning to show along the sides of his chest and his collarbones jutted out prominently. He was not wanting for food yet, but should he go any longer without eating proper meals, he may just begin to waste away.

“You rest for now,” Hongjoong soothed. “Tomorrow, I will summon more game for you to hunt. All of the herds are currently north, in Fae territory. They migrated there after I-uh…” Hongjoong trailed off, a fierce blush dusting his cheeks and neck.

Oh. _Oh_. He’s referring to the _event_ that Seonghwa stumbled upon in the clearing.

“Does all of your Earth magic work like that?” Seonghwa sat up, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.

“Not necessarily,” Hongjoong said. “I just find it’s more fun that way.” A smirk graced his stunning face, clearly recalling the occurrence vividly. Seonghwa swore he saw a twitch in Hongjoong’s pants.

“Get some sleep,” Hongjoong patted Seonghwa’s leg, pushing off the bed to saunter to the stairs. “I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.”

Seonghwa listened to the patter of Hongjoong’s feet as they descended to the lower floor. There was some rustling as Hongjoong settled on the couch to sleep, and then the cottage was enveloped in silence.

Sleep dragged Seonghwa under in a matter of moments.

|||||

_Seonghwa was back in the clearing, the sunlight beating down on him in suffocating waves. He instinctively reached behind him for his bow and quiver, his hand grasping at air as he realized he was wearing nothing but the silky white sleeping pants._

_Seonghwa whirled, the colours of the wildflowers glinting under the harsh rays of light. Something in his chest softened, replacing the fear he’d felt the day before with something almost resembling… fondness._

_Fondness at the thought that Hongjoong was responsible for the vivid colours and ripe berries; for the life-giving blessings of the Greenwood._

_Just as his thoughts wandered to the Fae, Seonghwa spotted a familiar head of red hair across the stream cutting along the right side of the clearing. His feet immediately began to move toward Hongjoong, almost against his will._

_He found the Fae lounging on the riverbank like the day they first met… completely nude._

_This time, though, instead of balking at the sight of him, Seonghwa smiled and slipped into the cool, rushing waters of the stream to make his way to the Fae that lay on the other side. The water was shallow, only coming halfway up his long, slender torso, and the chill of it raised goosebumps all over his body._

_Hongjoong, who had his arm thrown over his eyes, turned his head at Seonghwa’s splashing. A lazy smile spread across his face as he turned on his side and rested his head on his hand, watching Seonghwa cut across the narrow stream._

_Despite the cool temperature of the water, Seonghwa’s body burned and desire surged in his veins. He couldn’t help but let his gaze wander over the Fae’s sculpted chest and torso. The sun, however punishing it was, created a beautiful picture on the Fae’s body, the light reflecting off of him like liquid gold had been used to paint his skin._

_Hongjoong’s cerulean eyes flashed with amusement and lust as they tracked Seonghwa until the man was standing before him. Seonghwa pulled himself out of the water effortlessly, seating himself beside Hongjoong._

_The soaked sleeping pants did little in the way of modestly now- not that it did much before- clinging and molding to the curve of Seonghwa’s muscular thighs and semi-hard cock. Hongjoong’s hands immediately gravitated over Seonghwa’s body, his small fingers ghosting atop the hard muscle over the waterlogged pants. A shiver wracked Seonghwa’s body and blood rushed at an alarming pace to his quickly hardening member._

_Hongjoong chuckled lowly, now boldly running his hand up and down Seonghwa’s thigh, the tips of his fingers brushing painfully close to his cock. Looking down, he saw the Fae smirking up at him, his plump bottom lip caught between his blindingly white teeth._

_“Excited, are we?” Hongjoong whispered the words over Seonghwa’s sun-kissed skin._

_Seonghwa could manage nothing beyond a mangled moan as Hongjoong slithered between his legs and rose to his knees. The Fae drew close, his nose grazing Seonghwa’s, their breath mingling together in the miniscule gap between their lips. Seonghwa’s heart bounded in his chest, acutely aware of every part of the Fae that was touching his body- long, slim legs that were bracketed by his own muscular ones, tiny hands pressed gently against his chest, ridiculously soft lips lightly touching his own._

_Hongjoong stopped there, with his body flush against Seonghwa yet still so inexplicably_ far away _. Seonghwa wanted to breathe him in until that scent of earth after a fresh spring rain overwhelmed his senses; he wanted to swallow him whole- in more ways than one._

_Seonghwa’s eyes flickered, first to the unbelievable azure eyes, then to the teeth-bitten and swollen lips of the Fae. His voice was nothing more than a whisper._

_“Kiss me.”_

_And kiss him Hongjoong did._

_Seonghwa had taken lovers before, but none had knocked the very air from his lungs the way that Hongjoong did._

_The Fae began slowly, pecking the corner of Seonghwa’s lips before kissing him fully, their mouths slotting together like two pieces of a puzzle. His tongue soon joined the dance, gently prodding at Seonghwa’s slightly chapped lips for entrance- which Seonghwa granted with a low moan that vibrated in his chest. Hongjoong surged forward at the sound, his arms winding around Seonghwa’s neck and snaking into his thick, dark hair. Their bare chests rubbed together and the absolutely_ delicious _friction of Hongjoong’s warm skin against his chilled body only made his nipples harden, pulling the skin around them taut in anticipation._

_Seonghwa nearly fell back as Hongjoong continued to lean into him, but he refused to concede any space and instead put all the strain of holding himself and Hongjoong up on his abs. He took the opportunity to run his free hands over Hongjoong’s back, fingers tracing the knobs of his spine. The reaction that he got from the Fae was sinful- Hongjoong arched his back, ripping his slick, shiny lips away from Seonghwa’s to let out a high-pitched whine. The sudden contortion of his body pressed Hongjoong’s hardening erection onto the solid muscles of Seonghwa’s stomach._

_Hongjoong immediately latched his lips back to Seonghwa’s, inviting Seonghwa’s tongue out into the open air, the two muscles twisting together endlessly. It was hotter than anything Seonghwa had ever experienced._

_Now aware of how wonderful Seonghwa’s hard body felt against his heated cock, Hongjoong ground upward, rolling his hips into Seonghwa’s abs. Seonghwa was more than happy to help the Fae’s ministrations, securing his big hands around Hongjoong’s round bottom and using it as leverage to grind right back._

_The scent of earth and sweet wildflowers overcame Seonghwa’s senses and it flipped switch in him. Before Hongjoong could register what was happening, Seonghwa grabbed the smaller Fae and yanked him down, holding him against his chest as Seonghwa rolled the two of them over. Hongjoong was effectively trapped between Seonghwa and the soft ground of the clearing, the impossibly green grass framing him strikingly, a stark contract with his fiery red hair. Seonghwa allowed himself a moment to admire the man pinned beneath him- only a moment- before he dove back in. And this time, he was in control._

_He ground his hips into Hongjoong’s, the Fae gasping breaths into Seonghwa’s mouth with each languid motion. The wet sleeping pants did little in the way of friction, but it was more than enough for both Seonghwa and Hongjoong to hurtle toward their orgasms._

_Seonghwa wasn’t satisfied. He wanted more than a quick romp in the woods. He wanted to worship the Fae._

_So that’s what he did._

_As much as he didn’t want to, he slowly pulled his lips from Hongjoong’s and buried his face in the Fae’s neck, licking and nipping over every inch of skin that he could. Hongjoong’s body curled into Seonghwa’s, his legs raised to lock his ankles over Seonghwa’s back. His hands remained wound in Seonghwa’s hair, pressing the man further into his skin as if he could merge the two of them together._

_Seonghwa lingered at Hongjoong’s neck and collarbones no longer than what it took him to paint splotches of purple into the golden skin with his teeth and tongue. He pulled back enough to admire his work and Hongjoong whimpered at the loss of contact. His fingers tightened in Seonghwa’s hair, coaxing the man to lean back down and ravish Hongjoong’s mouth._

_The kiss was wet and filthy, both men panting heavily when Seonghwa finally disconnected their lips to breathe in deeply, inhaling the intoxicating scent of the Fae. Hongjoong let out a stuttered sob as Seonghwa’s hips continued to roll into his, the force of the motion shifting him upward on the soft grass. Seonghwa kissed the Fae once, twice- gentle presses of lips against lips._

_Then he began his journey down Hongjoong’s body. The Fae’s chest was heaving as Seonghwa pressed wet, open-mouthed kisses along the expanse of sweat-slick skin, moving down the lightly defined muscles of Hongjoong stomach before stopping to nip at his hipbones. His skin was too perfect, Seonghwa decided; a blank canvas that begged for art._

_Seonghwa removed his hands from where they were tangled in the strands of grass on either side of Hongjoong’s body, bracing himself on his knees. Then he dragged his nails down Hongjoong’s chest, the force of them leaving red marks down his pectorals all the way to his nipples. Seonghwa deliberately trailed a nail right above the hard buds, tugging down and releasing. Hongjoong reaction was lewd and dirty, his back arching up as one hand gripped his own red locks while the other grasped at whatever part of Seonghwa he could reach._

_Hongjoong's cock was painfully hard now and leaking against his stomach, creating a small puddle of pre-come which Seonghwa happily dipped a finger into._

_Hongjoong watched with half-lidded eyes as Seonghwa brought his soiled finger to his mouth and sucked the salty liquid, lips forming a tight seal around the digit as he slowly pumped it in and out. Hongjoong’s mouth dropped open at the sight and he released a high-pitched keen. He wanted those lips around his aching cock._

_Seonghwa’s nails continued their journey up and down Hongjoong’s torso until golden skin was marked with streaks of soft red. It was only when Hongjoong_ begged _to have Seonghwa’s hot mouth on his dripping member that the man conceded, shifting down until he was comfortably positioned on his belly. Hongjoong’s cock was red and hot in his hand, pre-come moistening the head of it._

_Seonghwa began at the base, licking and nipping gently at his balls. Hongjoong nearly purred, his eyes screwed shut as he attempted to push down into Seonghwa’s mouth. One strong hand against the Fae’s hips stopped his movements. Hongjoong decided his energy was better spent elsewhere: abusing his already sore nipples._

_Seonghwa moved further up the shaft of Hongjoong’s cock, his mouth hot and open against the burning skin, tongue coming out to trace over the veins on the underside of it. Hongjoong let out a whimper as Seonghwa reached the apex, tongue swirling around the swollen head and dipping into the slit weeping pre-come. One of Hongjoong’s hands abandoned his battered nipple to once again weave itself into Seonghwa's thick hair._

_Seonghwa gave no warning as he engulfed Hongjoong’s cock, the salty taste of it pleasant on his tongue. Hongjoong’s breath caught in his throat before he unleashed a guttural groan from the back of his throat. The Fae scrambled to ground himself, reaching over his head with the hand not tangled in Seonghwa’s hair to grapple at the grass as he lost any semblance of control over his body. Seonghwa did not start slowly, choosing to bob his head and swallow around Hongjoong’s member almost immediately, giving the Fae no time to register what was happening._

_The sounds that came from Hongjoong’s mouth were desperate and_ loud. _The noises he made drove Seonghwa to swallow as much of Hongjoong’s cock as he could, his nose brushing the taut, sweaty skin of Hongjoong’s pelvis._

_Hongjoong was not too big or too small. Fitting all of him into his mouth and throat was not too difficult for Seonghwa, if not a bit uncomfortable. The moans and sobs leaving Hongjoong’s lips were more than enough to drive any thoughts of discomfort from Seonghwa's mind as he pressed his face into Hongjoong’s pelvis and_ swallowed _, over and over. His lungs screamed for air, but he was sure that Hongjoong’s whines and broken screams of his name were all he needed to survive._

_He pulled off only when it became too much, and Hongjoong was nothing more than a quivering, sweaty mess muttering incoherently on the ground. Tears were streaming from Hongjoong’s eyes, which had glazed over as he gazed at Seonghwa from beneath heavy lids. Seonghwa leaned forward and Hongjoong immediately brought his hands up to circle his neck. Seonghwa brushed his nose along Hongjoong’s, tracing the sharp contour of it before craning his neck and nudging his tongue between his lips to lap at the tears running down Hongjoong’s face_

_The Fae below him groaned at the feel of Seonghwa’s tongue, the fingers at the base of Seonghwa’s neck gripping tightly at the cropped hair there._

_Once all the tears on Hongjoong’s face were wiped away with Seonghwa’s tongue, he journeyed south again. Seonghwa gripped Hongjoong’s cock in his hand, rubbing the tip of it against his lips before swallowing it and sucking. Hongjoong twisted, his legs shaking as he begged Seonghwa for_ more _._

_Seonghwa was more than happy to oblige._

_He bobbed his head up and down Hongjoong’s cock quickly, no longer caring about how his throat stung at the assault. He could feel Hongjoong tense steadily beneath him, his breaths becoming increasingly stuttered as Seonghwa ravished him with his mouth. A flailing hand coming to grip tightly at his hair was all the warning that Seonghwa received before the Fae came into his mouth._

_Maybe it was because Seonghwa was genuinely attracted to Hongjoong or maybe it was because he wanted to be selfish. Whichever motivation it was, Seonghwa didn’t know nor care as he swallowed every drop from Hongjoong’s spent cock. As he swallowed Hongjoong’s magic._

_The effect was instantaneous. Seonghwa’s entire body thrummed with magic. His fingertips tingled pleasantly, the sensation traveling through his veins to touch every crack and crevice of his sweaty body. Seonghwa could feel every beat of his heart in his chest, the strong muscle pumping the magic through him in waves. His mind grew fuzzy and bursts of gold and red flashed on the backs of his eyelids every time he blinked. Seonghwa's breathing grew heavy, his chest heaving as he felt the magic shift and center in on the aching weight between his legs._

_The pleasant tingling turned into an insatiable burning as it reached his cock, the thickness of it straining against his pants. The magic hit Seonghwa in waves, gripping his cock like a lover and running its invisible hands up and down the girthy shaft._

_When Seonghwa came, it was completely untouched, Hongjoong just gazing up at him from where he hovered over the Fae. A smirk twisted Hongjoong’s lips as he watched Seonghwa give into his magic. Endless ropes of come soaked the water-laden sleeping pants as Seonghwa grunted and ground his hips into the unseen touch of Hongjoong’s magic._

_It was the hardest Seonghwa had ever come. He could only collapse onto Hongjoong’s sweaty body, the scent of earth and sweet flowers now mingling with the musky smell of sex. Hongjoong’s hands trailed over his back, the soft touch eliciting shivers from Seonghwa’s spent body._

_Hongjoong ran his small fingers through Seonghwa hair, humming softly as Seonghwa allowed darkness to overcome him._


End file.
